Pros and Cons of Barbell and Dumbell Bench Press

A lot of beginners tend to shy away from using dumbbells when performing the bench press. Barbell seems to be the tool of choice for many beginners due to the fact that it’s much easier to handle, and allows more poundage compared to a pair of dumbbells. That being said, should one opt for the latter exclusively when training the chest muscle?

Let’s explore the pros and cons of each tool:

Barbell Bench Press

 Pros

• A barbell requires both arms to initiate the lifts hence it’s a lot easier to handle.

• Possibly faster chest development since one could lift more weights with a barbell.

Cons

• Lack the range of motion

• Not suitable when training alone. You need a spotter to provide assistance should your muscles fail when you’re in the concentric part of the exercise (when pushing the weight up).

Dumbbell Bench Press

Pros

• Offer greater range of motion and contraction.

• Dumbbells are safer to use when you’re training on your own. If you hit a problem during the concentric phase simply drop the weights on your side (careful not to drop them on somebody’s toe).

• Greatly address strength imbalances between both arms.

• Dumbbells also enable you to squeeze each pectoral muscle individually for optimal growth.

Cons

• Poundage is significantly reduced.

• Beginners may find dumbbells harder to control.

As you can see each tool has its pros and cons, so the best way to build a pair of barrel size pecs is to use both dumbbells and barbell. Example: During one of your chest blasting sessions, start with the flat bench press and use barbell. For the second exercise, you may opt for the incline bench press to develop your upper pecs, this time use dumbbells. Master both tools and you will be on your way to a muscular, jaw-dropping chest.

100 percent tested and proven muscle building program click here